Thaindian News

Jaitapur/Mumbai, April 18 (IANS) One person was killed and at least seven others were injured Monday when police opened fire on a mob protesting the proposed 9,900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, a top official said.

Ratnagiri Resident Deputy Collector Makarand Deshmukh said a youth was killed when police attempted to control the protesters who were on a rampage, attacking the Nate Police Station, a few kilometres from Jaitapur.

The victim has been identified as Tabrez Sayekar, a 30-year old fishermen from Nate coastal village.

Over 50 people have been detained.

“As per information available at the district headquarters, around 125 km from the site, at least seven persons have been injured in the police firing. I am awaiting details,” Deshmukh told IANS.

Home Minister R.R. Patil told the state assembly Monday evening that police opened fire after the mob attacked the police station, assaulted officials on duty and later set fire to the station premises.

He said he had sought a report on the incident from the district administration and would comment on it later.

Deshmukh said that the situation in the affected areas was “fully under control” and the district administration and police prepared to tackle tomorrow’s proposed Ratnagiri shutdown.

A local activist Pradeep Indulkar said there were two separate incidents of police action, one near Madhban and another in Nate, since this morning when anti-JNPP groups were protesting.

“In Madhban, scores of protesting Shiv Sainiks were caned by the police. In another incident in Nate, police opened fire on a huge crowd that had attacked the police station and pelted stones there,” Indulkar told IANS.

Top civil and police officials, including district collector M. Gaikwad and superintendent of police Pradeep Raskar, rushed to Nate to control the situation.

In a related development, the Shiv Sena called for Ratnagiri shutdown Tuesday to protest the police firing, an official said here.

The Shiv Sena, with its local legislator Rajan Salvi, other local parties as well as non-government organisations had led several hundred villagers from Jaitapur, Nate and Madhban in the protest at Jaitapur, Ratnagiri district against the proposed JNPP.

Some Shiv Sainiks attempted to barge into the JNPP site but police caned them, leaving several activists hurt.

Police have detained Salvi and more than 50 other Shiv Sainiks.

Later in the afternoon, some of the protesters attacked the Nate Police Station, around 10 km from Jaitapur.

The home minister told the assembly that the police opened fire in the air to disperse the violent mob. However, when it failed to scare them, they fired in the crowd, leading to the death of Tabrez Sayekar.

However, the opposition parties were not satisfied.

Demanding a statement from the government, Shiv Sena’s Subhash Desai said the incident was shocking and alleged that the authorities were putting pressure on the locals to accept the compensation from the authorities.

While the assembly was adjourned for 10 minutes over the issue, later it was adjourned for the day as the Opposition demanded a detailed statement on the developments.

In the legislative council, Industry Minister Narayan Rane said the protesters attempted to barge into the JNPP project site but were stopped by the police.

He said that angry crowds resorted to pelting stones at the police who retaliated by resorting to caning and later firing against the mob in Nate.

The protesters shouted anti-state and anti-central government slogans and condemned Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh’s statements in Mumbai last week that there was no looking back on JNPP.